Production of hydrocarbons



. necessary, melted down before use.

Patented Jan. 8, 1929.

' UNITED stares,

PATENT err-"ice.

-ALWIN MI'ITASCH AND CARL Ml'lLLER, OF MANNHEIM, AND LEO SCHLECHT AND WAL- TER SGI IUBARDT, OF LUDWIGSHAFENFON-THE-RHINE, GERMANY, ASSIGNORS TO I. G. FARBENINDUS'IIRIE AKTIENGESEL IQSCHAFT, F FRANKFORT-ON-THE-MAIN, GERMANY, A CORPORATIQN OF GERMANY. I

rnonuorron or HYnRocARBoNs.

No Drawing. Original application filed March 11, 1927, Serial No. 174.695, and in Germany March 13,

' 192G. Divided and this application filed February 17,, 1928. Serial No. 255,183.

The subjectmatter of the present application has been divided out from our copendlng application Ser. No. 17 4,695, filed March 11, 1927. I I

6 The present invention relates to the production of hydrocarbons from oxids of carbon and hydrogen. I

' we have found that the pure metals which are Obtained from the corresponding carbonyl vl0 compounds form an excellentmaterial, either alone or in conjunction with other substances,

-for use as catalysts in the production of'hy-.

drocarbons by the catalytic reduction of oxids of carbon by means of substantially-less hydrogen than is theoretically necessary for converting the oxids of carbon into methane.

The reaction may be carried out under ordinary, reduced or increased pressure. Since the said metals are uncontamlnatedby sul-.

2p fur, phosphorus, silicon and the like, theyfurnish contact-masses by means of which high yields of hydrocarbons may be obtained over a long period, provided the gases and such hot parts of the apparatus as come into contact therewith are also free from the impurities specified. For the productionof the catalysts according to this invention, the

original material may consist of iron or other metals 1n the form of fine powder, such as are obtained by decomposing metal carbonyls at comparatively low temperatures ina gaseous atmosphere, the said powder being, .if Solid metals prepared in other ways from the corresponding carbonyls,"fo'r example directly in a fused state, may also be employed. Such fused metals usually differ from the fine powders in that they contain a smaller, and v as a rule scarcely a detectable, amount of car- 40 bon.

Insteadof preparing the catalysts from the metals directly obtained from-the carbonyls, it is also possible to'start from the pure metal oxids obtained by. combustion of the carbonyls. The new catalysts may contain other const-itutents. or be employed on suitable supports. Especially suitable catalysts are those consisting merely of one or more metals prepared from' the .corresponding carbonyls. It

is even possible to produce the catalyst only in the course ofthe reaction by passing the carbonyl vapor or vapors together with hydrogen or gases. containing same through a heated reaction vessel, in which the carbonyl is decomposed to the metal acting as catalyst and carbon monoxid reacting with the hydrogen with the formation of hydrocarbons. It

Example 1.

are obtained b decomposition of iron carbonyl vapor d1 uted with carbon monoxid. in

.the hot free space of a heated vessel. The

A; shaft furnace is filled with flakes of iron having the appearance ofcotton Wool which room-temperature, are separated along with water. The said hydrocarbons may be em" ployedin part for example as fuel or as solvents, in part as lubricating oil. When the formation of hydrocarbons diminishes, the catalyst can be removed from the furnace and fresh quantities thereof readily prepared therein by introducing iron carbonyl vapor into the reaction vessel which for this purpose is maintained at. a "somewhat higher temperature,

EirampZe'Q. 7 Iron carbonyl; vapor and hydrogen in the proportion of 1 kilogramme of carbonyl to 400 litres of hydrogen areintroduced into the top of a'shaftfurnace heated externally to about 240 C. The resulting fine ironpowr der is separated in dust chambers and the gas leaving said chambers is freed from the hydrocarbons containedtherein by means of active silica. The hydrocarbons are expelled from the silica, for examplev by treatment with steam, and condensed and may be employed for example as a rsadily volatilizable fuel. A considerable amount of more difficultly volatile hydrocarbons can be recovered from the iron powder by heating same.

- In the reaction'described in the example, the nature of the resulting hydrocarbons depends on the speed of the gas. current, the proportions of the ingredients, and the temperature and pressure; 3'

The metal which has been employed as catalyst, may again be converted into the carbonyl and thus employed ina circular course,-or may be utilized in any other manner.

the gaseous reaction mixture also in any other suitable manner than indicated above, for'eX- ample by-means of suitable solvents, or by Compression and the like.

What we claim is '5 1. The process of producing hydrocarbons from a gaseous mixture'cqntaining oirids' of carbon and substantially'less hydrogen than:

.is theoretically necessary for the conversion of the oxids of carbon into methane, characterized bythe employment of a catalyst ooh prising a metal prepared from the corre-'.

sponding metal carbonyl. 2. The process of producing hydrocarbons from a gaseous mixtpre containing oxids of carbon and substantially less hydrogen than is theoretically necessary for the conversion of the oxids of carbon into methane, characterized by the employment of a catalyst com-' Y carbonyl.

prising a metal prepared by thermal-decomposition of the corresponding metal carbonyl. v 3. The process of producing hydrocarbons from agaseous' mixture containing carbon monoxld and substantially less hydrogen 4, I The process of producing hydrocarbons from a gaseous mixture containing carbon The hydrocarbons may be separated from i from a gaseous mixture containing carbon drogen, and such amounts of a metalcarbonyl that by thermally decomposing the metal carbonyl a/gas mixture containing carbon monoxid and hydrogen in the abovementioned proportion'is obtained in which the metal is suspended as ,catalyst, and heating the resulting mixture to effect the'desireg reactions. T

5. The process of producing hydrocarbons monoxid and substantially less hydrogen. 1 than is theoretically necessary for the conversion of th'ecarbon monoxid'into methane, characterlzed by mixlng together a gaseous mixture containlng carbon monoxid and hydrogen, and such amounts of iron carbonyl that by thermallydecomposing the iron car- *bonyl a gas mixture containing carbon monoxid and hydrogen in the abovementioned proportion is obtained in which iron-is'suspended as catalyst, and heating the resulting mixture to efiect the desired 'recations.

6. The process of producing hydrocarbons from a mixture of carbon monoxid and sub monoxi'dintomethane,characterized by mixing iron carbonyl with hydrogen in, such proportions that by t 'erinally decomposing the iron carbonyl a g s mixture containing carbon monoxid and hydrogen in the abovementioned proportion is obtained in which iron is suspended as catalyst, and heating the" resulting mixture to efieot the desired reactions, s Intestimony' whereof we have hereunto set .our hands.

' ALWIN MITTASCH. CARL LEO SCHLECHT. A v

v SCHUBARDT. 

